Nutrition, Health, Exercise

Menu

Monthly Archives: June 2013

If you are like millions of weight watchers, with a fat-phobia and counting calories, here is an interesting weight losing tip! Make room for mushroom and it is definite that you can maintain a pretty decent, healthy weight.

Mushroom – to lose weight?

In the game of weight loss, the pretty & tiny sponge like mushroom is one of the powerful player. Mushroom substituted for meat, aid in weight loss! Sounds great. Isn’t?

Yes, 100 g of mushroom has only 25 kcal when compared to a grilled – lean beef of same weight that provides 175 kcal!

A one-year randomized clinical trial by researchers at the Weight Management Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, found that substituting white button mushrooms, for red meat can be an useful strategy for enhancing and maintaining weight loss.

Increasing intake of low-energy-density foods like mushrooms, in place of high-energy density foods, like lean ground meat, can be an effective method for reducing daily energy and fat intake, while feeling full and satiated after the meal.

Lets make room for mushrooms, for their prominent flavor and health benefits. You can definitely make a difference in your health from this dainty mushrooms’ copious supply of favorable nutrients.

Many think mushroom is not good for health because it is not green. Surprisingly, It has more potassium than a banana, which helps to maintain the rhythm of our heart! It’s really a very valuable food for diabetic and heart patients, for its least quantity of carbohydrate and fat. A tiny yet exquisite, is a wise addition to your plate!

The glutamic acid found in mushroom, is an amino acid, a natural flavor enhancer that entice even the most fussy eaters, to relish this low-energy- density fungus. It is also formed naturally in the body, from other amino acids that you consume through a balanced diet. Dairy products, meat, fish, eggs and cocoa are the other natural foods that are good sources of glutamic acid.

Broccoli, mushroom with garlic

If you do not eat enough protein foods, you may not be able to get sufficient amount of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid with glucose is one of the principal fuels for the brain. It helps get rid of ammonia, a metabolic by-product that is toxic to both brain and muscle cells, from our body.

Mushrooms are available in different sizes, shapes, textures, and colors! Portabella, shitake, enoki, oyster mushrooms are very common that are available in the grocery stores.

Mushroom, not only aids in weight loss, as a super food it helps prevent cancer and heal infection, too! Studies have proven that Shitake mushroom will lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, and heal infections.

Mushroom is packed with selenium, copper and zinc. A real powerpack!

Selenium a powerful antioxidant, neutralizes free radicals and prevents the body from chronic diseases. Along with vitamin E, selenium aids in the prevention of skin damage, too!

The absorption of iron in the body relies on copper. Iron is essential for the formation of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to all cells in the body.

Zinc supports the metabolic rate, the speed at which our body creates and use up the energy. Shitake and Crimini mushrooms are good sources of zinc.

I know that you are already convinced to have a room, for this tiny, cute mushrooms………………………..

Mushroom is great for what it is. Low in calorie and good for weight loss! At the same time, it is low in protein also! It has only 3-4% protein when compared to beans, 8-13% and red meat, 25-35%. However, this is easy to compensate. Combination of mushroom with beans (like red kidney beans, black beans, soybeans), lean red meat, poultry and fish will provide one of the best tasting protein!

Black bean with mushroom is heart healthy! How about a bowl of brown rice with mushroom & kidney bean curry, for lunch? Sounds great!

To conclude, I’d like to say that mushroom is highly nutritious, low in calorie that aids in weight loss and at the same time would also like to emphasis on exercise that is equal to diet when it comes to losing weight. Aerobic exercise has important cardiovascular and metabolic implications. The age-old advice, “Eat less and move more to lose weight“, still holds true!